I was rattled last night as I watched a most riveting play, "Master Harold'...And The Boys, written by Athol Fugard at Timeline Theater in Chicago. (if you live in the vicinity, please go see it)

I have been keenly aware of my own struggle between hope and despair that is manifested as I "channel surf" TV, watching the beauty of the Olympic athletes "working" their dreams contrasted with the reality of current affairs as reported in the news. Much to my surprise, this play was incredibly timely and relevant.

The play addressed the tension in South African during the 1950's era of apartheid but its power was in its incredible acting, dialogue and universal themes of humanity. It spoke of the great heros through out history and art as "giving form to the formless." The play also referenced kites as a metaphor for hope, which have been a photographic obsession of mine over the years.

I also just learned that the 2005 film “Tsotsi,” was adapted from the South African playwright Fugard’s novel of the same name and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. It was a wonderful film and definitely worth watching.

And then this morning while I was in the midst of reading A Fine Balance by Mistry, I came across this passage on pg 228 "...the secret to survival is to embrace change, and to adapt...all things fall and are built again ...sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping stones to success... you have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair....in the end, it's all a question of balance."